Chapter 49
Nicholas Salter had learned of a situation which he was not happy about. A formerly untapped reserve of oil had been discovered in an area which was not controlled by the OWG. This was very bad news. Resources, particularly oil, were valuable and those that possessed them had the power. Only Salter and the OWG could have the power.
At the moment the site of the oil, in what had been known as Venezuela, was occupied by a band of settlers. These people were not ruled by the OWG and were currently fortifying the area to secure their discovery. They had gone from a group who were happy to quietly occupy their small part of the world to a major threat. They thought they could control the oil and profit from it. That would never do.
An alternative source of oil would open up a market. Everything had to be bought from the OWG. The revenue paid for the food which fed the world. It also paid for the lifestyle which the leadership class enjoyed. Salter and the inner cabinet enjoyed it more than everyone else on the planet.
As news of the oil spread, more people were joining the original colony bolstering their ability to defend the area. To take the site there would have to be a war. At least there would according to Salter. The armed forces had skirmishes and suppressed crowds, but they had not been into battle. Troops would have to be amassed and then shipped to South America which would mean that other areas would be left at risk.
The OWG controlled refineries and distribution so the oil would have to be passed to them at some point. There was no way that they were going to pay for something which they thought of as rightfully theirs. Some would argue that they had enough and that the potential loss of life was not necessary to get something that would make its way to them eventually anyway. Nicholas Salter did not see it that way. He was looking to the future. The OWG could be ruling for another 1,000 years if they kept control of everything.
The bigger picture. That was what he would have to make the cabinet see. The OWG had ruled a, mostly, peaceful earth and provided for nearly all of the population for the last hundred years. Leaving these people in charge of that area would be the thin end of the wedge. No one could be allowed to challenge the authority and sovereignty of the One World Government.
The inner cabinet had been out and about talking to the ministers. They had enough people to pass the motion, but there was bound to be some dissent. A good orator or a well reasoned argument could turn the tide against them. Bribes and threats had been issued to those that would listen, but there were some who were untouchable.
Many of Salter's enemies had been neutralized, but they were like weeds. They would get rid of one and another would grow in their place. These righteous martyrs kept throwing themselves on their swords by defying him. They surely knew that if they revealed their opposition they would be removed.
Nicholas Salter stood before the cabinet, his cabinet as he thought of them, and addressed them. He made an impassioned speech. He was a dour man so his animation told the assembled ministers that the issue was important. He talked about the beneficent rule of the OWG. Would they let this area be ruled by murderous despots? He talked about their excellent armed forces who were well equipped and highly trained. Surely, they would secure victory quickly.
"I do not think that it is too overdramatic to say that our whole future is at stake. If we let these people take control of valuable resources it will set a precedent. Before long, areas around the world will be claimed by disparate groups. If resources are not under the control of the OWG how will we balance the books? How will we feed the hungry? How will we supply the needs of our people?
Resources should not be owned by one group of people they are for the whole world. It's our duty to the entire population to rescue this oil from the hands of renegades".
Salter looked around the table and he saw members of his cabinet nodding and chanting the words "Hear, hear."
There were of course those wearing thunderous expressions as they disagreed with everything that he said. Some genuinely disliked the thought of what he was proposing. Some were cross because they hated Salter and everything he said. Their names would be noted so that action could be taken at a later stage if necessary.
Howard cavendish was particularly red faced and he was first on his feet when the speech was finished.
"What you propose sir is war, but you have not investigated any other options. Surely words should come first. Negotiation could see lives saved and a resolution which could be a benefit to all involved. If we…"
A few members of the inner cabinet interrupted him using, rehearsed, coordinated shouts. They stopped discussion by shouting down their opponents. Occasionally they actually tried to debate a topic, but if the tide was turning against Salter, they employed this tactic. Howard took a deep breath and tried again. He did not get much further.
Seven more ministers stood to make their points. All of them were recommending talking to the people currently in charge of the oil field. Nicholas Salter thanked them all for their contributions. He then told them that they were wrong and then he held a vote. His motion was carried.
Eric had voted with Salter. He had hated raising his hand for everyone to see and he had avoided eye contact with Howard afterwards. Following the meeting his hand was shaken by those in the inner cabinet and by Salter himself. He went to visit Dan afterwards and told him the news. It was too early to see how this situation could be used in their fight against Salter, but they would follow things closely.
There were things closer to home for Eric to think about at the moment. He wasn't blind. He had seen the attractive red head, Serena, with Dan and he was sure that there was some romance going on. He wasn't at all sure how he thought about that.
Dan's plans with Serena had been somewhat derailed the first night she had stayed at his house. The gathering of friends who opposed the OWG had seen them all sat around talking into the early hours. The second night of her stay had been more as he had hoped. She had shared his bed.
It had been a truly emotional occasion for Dan. Since he had arrived on the new Earth he had despaired of ever sharing intimate contact with anyone again. His wife Sam had been cold and distant. He had never even approached her with a view to making love. Now he had woken up lying next to Serena and he couldn't have been happier.
She was ejected from his bed in the early hours of the morning before she was discovered by his children. Grace and Alex would require some explanation for why Serena was in his bedroom and that could be tricky. They were reunited over breakfast and their smiles and touching told their story.
Phyllis smiled for them. Dan had been very good to her and her husband Peter. She did not know Serena well but what she had seen was positive. Dan was happy and that was good for the children and everyone else. There was a party atmosphere in the house and they all joined in.
As they saw each other more often a deepening connection between Serena and Dan brought thoughts of where this would all lead. For Dan there had been an attraction from the moment he had first seen his girlfriend. He wanted to know what her thoughts were on the subject. He couldn't prevaricate. He had found her and he wanted to make a commitment.
"Do you think there will come a time when you would consider, maybe, moving to live in this house with me." Not the most elegant of statements but it got the message across.
Serena's face registered surprise and then she feigned deep thought. She kept him waiting for a few seconds before answering. "Of course."
It was not straight forward to transfer Serena to District 31. She worked, like everyone else, for the OWG. If she left the shop where she worked she would have to have another job to go to. It was decided that she would become the nanny for Grace and Alex. It was a fake position and all their friends knew that. Anyone who became aware of the arrangement knew it was sham too.
Luckily for Dan this type of thing was not uncommon. A member of the leadership class taking a fancy to someone from the labour zone and moving them in under the guise of being a servant was often done. Some people would disapprove, but many would turn a blind eye. The trickiest person in the equation was his father-in-law, Eric. Dan had to tackle that problem head on.
He sat down with Eric and told him that Serena was very important to him.
"I want her to live in the house with me. We are making arrangements for that to happen, but I wanted to let you know. I understand if you are upset, or you don't approve, but I love her. The children like her. We think the same, have the same goals. I know it's difficult for you. Whoever I am with will make no difference when it comes to Grace and Alex. They are your grandchildren. You will always be able to see them."
"I appreciate that you have shared this with me. Technically it is none of my business what you do, but there are the grandchildren. Serena seems to be a nice young woman."
Eric was not delighted by the news, but he was not angry either. He was resigned to the decision which Dan had made. He had not been oblivious to the strained relations between his son in law and his daughter. Despite their differences, Dan had treated Sam well and looked after her. Eric had been reassured that whatever the circumstances, he was Grace and Alex's grandfather and he would always be in their lives.